Apple's Premium Resellers are getting iPads to sell on Friday - provided their shops pass Apple's stringent standards.
But retailers are irritated at Apple's insistence that they do not take pre-orders or publicise the launch on their websites or in store until Friday morning.
They were even more annoyed at DSGi's claim that it …

COMMENTS

Title

re: what it does

I dread to think what sort of answer you'll get if you ask that question to one of the spotty oiks in Dixons (sorry, Currys Digital). I'm betting whatever it does, it won't do it half as well as when you purchase an Extended Warranty with it.

I'm not an Apple fanboi but......

...lots of fanbois put the "I'm no apple fanboi" quote in their posts.

I am sure there are a list of them that they must give you with every boxed apple product. Includes lots of non quantifiable things about how great apple products are usability, work flow, and total cost of ownership type phrases.

Too easy

+1

When I tried to buy a MacBook the sales rep wouldn't even try to sell it to me (eg. not fully answering questions, being distracted, etc). I even said thanks and moved on to another sales rep (big shop) and got the same treatment. So I guess it's too easy to sell and they don't bother.

Big news story?

Gotta give Apple their due.

Despite the HUGE amount of anti-Apple-fanboi-ism exhibited by Reg commenters, you've got to admit that they know how to whip up a media frenzy around objects of desire. And who can blame them? Would you rather sell an item for peanuts with a small penetration or sell out 100% at a premium price? It's a no-brainer. AND you'll even get resellers jumping through hoops to flog your kit (similar to what Sony did with the Playstation, perhaps).

You may not like it, but this will be another marketing victory for Apple.

@AC re: news out of nothing

Is this more Jobs dictatorship?

I don't really mind what Apple sell (and in fact are grateful to them for creating the Apple II which is what started my interest in 'puters), but this increasing paranoia and secrecy just makes them look like a bunch of weirdo dictators. Has Job's illness affected his brain? Because some of the stuff they get up to now does smack of erratic synapse firing.

I hope the news goes the other way....

I'd love to see some photos of piles of unsold iPads and empty Apple stores on Friday.

Not because I'm an Apple hater but because it would counteract some of the pointless frenzy of expectation in the other direction.

The only reason for shortages is going to be Apple restricting the supply to make sure there are shortages, to make "news". Which then means the news is disappointingly re writeable as "Apple uses us to advertise their product for free again". Who needs paid advertising when they can manipulate the press?

The shortages are real...

It's now a 2 week wait to get a 3G iPad in the States, and it's only going to get worse since the iPad is priced too cheaply for what it does... it's beyond amazing...

No, Apple wouldn't restrict supply, that would make no sense. The problem seems to be the IPS touch screens... nobody has ever tried to make such large, high quality touch screens in such volumes before... so coupled with the tremendous demand, there is simply no way to create enough units.

@Jim Booth

Paranoia?

Its not paranoia, its called MARKETING.

They force the sellers to do stuff, they bleat to the press, press print stories, bingo, free advertising, hype and drones like the mob on here telling the world how useless Apple are and how much they hate them (despite reading and commenting on EVERY Apple story going).

"Worse are the people who pay money for these products. They are truly the dregs of society!".

Love that. Clearly someone who buys a particular gadget from a particular company who you have a completely irrantional hatred off (after all, nobody makes you buy them, read about them etc etc, you could just ignore them...) is far worse than murders, muggers, rapists, street thugs, job dodgers and so on. Talk about a lack of perspective.

Just because they're after you, doesn't mean you're not paranoid

'"Worse are the people who pay money for these products. They are truly the dregs of society!".

Love that. Clearly someone who buys a particular gadget from a particular company who you have a completely irrantional hatred off (after all, nobody makes you buy them, read about them etc etc, you could just ignore them...) is far worse than murders, muggers, rapists, street thugs, job dodgers and so on. Talk about a lack of perspective.'

Awesome! Clearly someone who posts a sentence like that (with a JOKE icon next to it to boot) really hates Apple fans. He's got to be more sociopathic than, say, someone who presumes the OP actually has the perspective put forth in his JOKE and who doesn't even have the balls to post under an actual (or fake, even) name.

Apple rarely does much marketing...

Yes, Apple tends to let their products speak for themselves, they rarely spend much money on "marketing"... they have the lowest advertising budget of all computer and cell phone companies for example.

Apple just makes great stuff... which makes people that are "connected" to all the poor quality products MAD... they get flustered since they don't have the engineering, the vision, the software skills to make great products.

It's sad, but Apple just focuses on the "customer" experience... then everything else falls into place.

Oh dear

Actually the iPad will be far bigger than the iPhone

The iPhone was great back in the day, but the iPad is what will change the entire computer industry... It's almost as big as the Mac... if you can believe it! It changes the entire landscape of computing... yes, it's early, but hang on tight... all computers will work like the iPad in 10 years.

Hyperbole, spelt b*ll*cks!

Usual Apple methods. Hype the product as having mystical qualities and that it's the best thing since sliced bread and.....BINGO! Mass hysteria to buy the wretched thing. Don't be mugs, people - it's just what they want. It's nothing special.

"Apple's iPad resellers are revolting!"

lmfao

This is such BS, total marketing ploy to get into the media and hype up sales. Who gives a poop when they become available, really, does it matter who is selleing them and when, is your life going to be so dramatically distorted because you can't get your iPoop on the day of release?

Apple are panicing you, making you think if you don't get it on release day you will never get one because all the world supplies will dry up. So FKN what! Life goes on, get it the week after....

Don't you see how you are being manipulated, you poor fools?

For me, just another reason to never buy crApple products, I don't appreciate being treated like a spaz.

No, it's not a ploy, it's just well made

No, Apple would never do this on purpose, that's not their ethical approach to business. The problem is the iPad is incredibly well made and they priced it too low so demand will outstrip supply for the next year or so.

You really need to use a product before you use a product, you clearly don't understand how it works, so have been tricked into thinking people are waiting in line for no good reason. Someday you'll touch one and see what all the excitement is about.